Shoot the People

Nigerian-born activist and photographer Misan Harriman achieved global recognition when his powerful work was reshared online by Martin Luther King Jr III. Since then, he’s travelled the world, photographed for Vogue, and become an Oscar-nominated filmmaker. Now, in documentary Shoot the People, Harriman sets out to explore the impact that protests have had on society and honour the figures who have led the charge. His journey spans the Black Lives Matter and Civil Rights movements in the US, Apartheid in South Africa, and the global responses to the occupation of Palestine. With this documentary, director Andy Mundy-Castle delivers a thoughtful and moving portrait of solidarity.

After a montage of news footage showing police violence and anti-immigration rhetoric establishes the politically turbulent time we live in, the documentary opens with Harriman sitting at his kitchen table, admiring some of his cameras. Harriman is articulate, intelligent, and self-aware enough to discuss his position as both someone with a privileged background and someone who speaks up for the underprivileged. He’s also charming towards those he photographs, cracking jokes with a huge smile. The photographer’s warm and eloquent persona makes him an endearing and authentically passionate guide for viewers to follow.

The documentary is filled with examples of Harriman’s photography, which show striking black and white photos of protestors holding up provocative signs or yelling in defiance. More powerful than the images themselves is the way his work depicts people of all walks of life coming together. This is the core theme that pulses throughout the film and is likewise echoed in the art of other featured activists. None are more affecting than Peter Magubane’s work, which captured the reality of living under Apartheid.

Examining the rise of university demonstrations and featuring interviews with politicians like Ilhan Omar about the importance of protesting, this documentary is fundamentally about social change. However, it’s also about what hasn’t changed. Despite Apartheid being abolished three decades earlier, elderly citizens are still fighting for what they’re owed. More chillingly, contrasting the George Floyd protests with footage from Jim Crow America underscores the uphill battle that’s still to be won.

Ending with a shot of a tribute to victims of police violence written at the site of George Floyd’s murder, Shoot the People is a timely documentary that reminds viewers why their voices matter.